Mobile compressing device for compressing stacked material in conjunction with bundling the material by means of strapping or the like



Aug. 5, 1969 s A H. WIKLUND 3,459,119

MOBILE COMPRESSING DEVICE FOR COMPRESSING STACKED MATERIAL IN CONJUNCTION WITH BUNDLING THE MATERIAL BY MEANS OF STRAPPING OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 13, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN'I UR. SVEN AA/DERS H/L D/A/G W/m u/vo ATTORNEY- g- 5, 1969 s. A. H. WIKLUND 3,459,119 MOBILE COMPRESSING DEVICE FOR COMPRESSING STACKED 1 MATERIAL IN CONJUNCTION WITH BUNDLING THE MATERIAL BY MEANS OF STRAPPING OR THE LIKE 16d Feb. 13, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 8 v BYWZQkr A TTORNE X United States Patent Ofice 3,459,l l9 Patented Aug. 5, 1969 US. Cl. 100-7 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A compressing device for orientatable compression of stacked material in conjunction with or prior to bundling the material by means of strapping or the like at a strapping station or the like, said compressing device being adapted to advance and retract in relation to said stack, which is placed on an orienting table preferably at said strapping station and adapted to be oriented in a position of said compressing device adjacent to said stack by means of at least two perpendicularly opposed horizontally movable compressing or orienting means adapted to engage said stack, and oriented in two or more perpendicularly opposite directions for the purpose of orienting said stack prior to said strapping in said strapping station.

The present invention relates to a mobile compressing device for compressing stacked material in conjunction with bundling the material by means of strapping or the like. According to the invention the mobile device is adapted to advance towards or retract from the stack adjacent to the strapping station, the mobile device being adapted to compress the stack in its position adjacent to the stack in two or more perpendicularly opposed directions by means of compressing means movable in two or more perpendicularly opposed directions and adapted to engage the stack, thereby compressing the latter before its strapping in the strapping station, thus causing the stack to enter into the desired volume and shape.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation view, and

FIGURE 2, is a top plan view.

The drawing shows a plant in which stacked material, for instance pulp bales 1, are fed to a strapping station 2, where the stacks are equipped with steel straps so that two stacks are strapped together into one delivery unit. In many industries it has become a matter of common practice thus to bundle stacked material into one delivery unit. The delivery units in their turn may comprise one or several stacks, dependent on the character of the goods.

In connection with strapping stacked material in this manner it is in most cases found desirable to orient (align) the stacked material before strapping it in order to obtain uniform and properly balanced delivery units after strapping. In some cases, concerning for instance compressible material, it may be found desirable in the course of strapping the material to exert such heavy pressure on the latter as to compress it to the extent that the material, due to its inherent resilience, is tied by the steel strap more efiiciently than otherwise would be possible.

For this purpose there is provided, according to the invention, a reciprocating carriage 3 equipped with means 4 for orienting the material and compressing it from four sides in such a manner that the aforementioned advantages are obtained. The stacked material is supplied in units 1 by means of a truck 9, for example, and is delivered in pairs by means of a roller conveyor 10 to the strapping station 2.

The compressing unit or device 4 is designed in such a manner that, principally, every known strapping station of conventional design may be equipped with the unit.

The compressing unit 4, which is mounted on the mobile carriage 3, is provided with two vertical compressing platens 5 parallel to the direction of travel. The carriage with the compressing unit having been pulled into the conveying line of the bales, the compressing platens 5, the height of which equals that of the highest delivery units, are caused to approach each other until they have both reached a position of equal distance from the centre line of the unit. In this manner the delivery unit 1a will be oriented to the surfaces 1b parallel to the strapping direction, and the delivery unit will be compressed on said surfaces. This step having been carried out, two orienting beams 6 are pushed forward towards the delivery unit at the end 1c thereof facing the compressing unit 4. As a result the delivery unit 1a will be pushed from the mobile carriage 3 against a pair of heavy steel legs or rams 7 located at the far ends of the big compressing platens 5, said rams, in the forward position of the platens, being forced against the front face of the delivery unit. In this manner the delivery unit will be oriented and compressed so that the most favourable strapping conditions will be obtained. Strapping is now carried out, by means of a strapping apparatus shown in outline only, with a hooping rail *8. The rail 8 and other tools if required are suspended from the L-shaped beam 13 whose horizontal portion overlies the strapping station. The reason for providing the aforementioned compressing means with two beams or rams is that the steel strap will be guided in the rail 8 around the delivery units in the strapping station. The compression means 5, 6 have to be parted or divided in order to operate on either side of this rail.

The compressing unit 4 is mounted on the mobile carriage 3 which conveniently may be pulled back and forth by means of a hydraulic cylinder 14 which actuates a piston having a piston rod 15 whose outer end is engaged with the opposite vertical support member at 16, thereby preventing a possible thrust from the delivery unit due to compression thereof in the different directions from pushing the carriage out of position.

The delivery units having been strapped in the strapping station 2, will now be withdrawn from this station in order to be conveyed to a loading station 11 by means of a conveyor.

All the various movements described in the foregoing are suitably put into effect by hydraulic means in a manner known in the art, the hydraulic pumping equipment being preferably mounted on the carriage 3, thus making it possible to supply this equipment as a complete hydraulic unit, ready to operate as soon as the electric power is supplied by means of a flexible electric cable.

The carriage 3 being mobile it can be taken aside, out of the conveying line of the delivery units, without obstructing the outward or inward transport of the units. Moreover, all bulky equipment may be located on that side of the line which faces away from the operators station 12 in order that the operators should not be hindered in their work with the comparatively bulky equipment required for tying the strap.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for the orientatable compression of stacked material for the bundling of the same by strapping or the like at a strapping station which comprises, a compressing device, an orienting table, means to move material in a stack onto said orienting table, movable mounting means for advancing and retracting said compressing device with respect to a stack on said table, said compressing device including two perpendicularly disposed horizontally movable opposed compressing means for engaging said stack, means for moving said movable compressing means, said orienting table providing a strapping station, said movable compression means being oriented in a plurality of perpendicularly opposite directions for orienting said stock prior to the strapping of said stack at said strapping station.

2. A compressing device according to claim 1 in which said two perpendicularly disposed horizontally movable opposed compressing means comprises a pair of first compressing means comprising compressing platens movable in opposite directions and adapted to engage opposite sides 15 of the stack, said compressing platens being equipped at one end thereof with supporting means perpendicular to the compressing platens, and second compressing means operating towards and away from said supporting means, and movable perpendicularly to the direction of move- 4 ment of said compressing platens, thereby orienting two additional sides of the stack perpendicularly to the sides first oriented.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,105,900 8/1914 Gibbs 100-232 XR 3,017,730 1/1962 Rodish 53-124 3,081,956 3/ 1963 Carriere.

3,318,234 5/1967 Robertson et al. 100-232 3,327,449 6/1967 Hullhorst et a1. 100-295 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 612,865 5/ 1935 Germany.

BILLY J. WILHITE, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

